Photograph of Cari Cusick.

Cover of Satellite by Nick Lake.

YA Books From the ‘Final Frontier’

“Space: the final frontier…” Those words have opened countless Star Trek episodes. The idea of a “final frontier,” full of limitless possibilities, is key to the appeal of science fiction. This month, teen librarian Sharon Cepeda is highlighting some young adult (YA) novels about exploring, or living in, space. Don’t forget to pack your Tang!…
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October’s Top Checkouts

We crunched the numbers: Here are Newton Public Library’s top checkouts from the month of October. You can reserve these items for convenient pickup! Each title is linked directly to the item’s page in NPL’s online catalog, where you can place a hold. You can also call the library at 316-283-2890, stop in, or email…
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September’s Highest-Circulating Titles

Here’s what Newton Public Library users were reading, watching and listening to last month, as ranked by how many times items were checked out! Why not browse these items? Click a title link to go directly to an item’s page in Newton Public Library’s online catalog. From there, you can place an item on hold…
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Hear oral histories on Digital Newton site

By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org Newton Public Library’s Digital Newton, Kansas, is a history resource, providing online access to local history video and audio interviews collected by library staff and volunteers in the 1970s and 1980s. I recently spent some time exploring the collection, and I was struck by the stories not only of Newton’s history,…
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100 years of professional football

By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org One hundred years ago today, Jim Thorpe and six other men gathered at a car dealership in Canton, Ohio, and organized the American Professional Football Association. Two years later, the APFA became the National Football League. To learn more about American pro football’s history and highlights, go long and get ready…
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Youth Summer Rewind: Special Guest Programs!

Newton Public Library’s Youth Summer Library Program featured some awesome guest performers who joined us virtually! If you missed the premieres of these programs in June and July, never fear: Thanks to the magic of technology, you can watch whenever you want! The Circus Man, Jason D’Vaude Jason’s comedic juggling, fire, and balancing acts include…
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Free and public domain sheet music websites

By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org If you ever find yourself hunting for sheet music, you might want to bookmark these websites featuring printable, public domain and/or free-to-use sheet music files. BandMusic PDF Library. This site is devoted to preserving and sharing “band music from the Golden Age of the American Town Band,” including works by John…
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Please, hold your applause

By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org Almost no live performances are happening anywhere nowadays – and that’s a big problem for artists who rely on touring and concerts to make a living. But an audience’s adulation – however much it is yearned for by young musicians trying to “make it” – can send artists into a mental…
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